Des O’Connor Proves Nice Guys Can Finish First

There's not a lot that Des O'Connor can't do. He's combined a flair for comedy with talent as a singer, and his charm and informality have seen him host one of the most popular chat shows on TV.

He's done 11 Royal Variety Performances, and has performed at the London Palladium more than anyone else - over 1300 times. Were that not enough, he's written a successful autobiography, sold 16 million records, has been on the books of Northampton Town FC, and even been granted a licence as an amateur jockey.

It would all be enough to make you sick with envy, if O'Connor wasn't living proof that nice guys can finish first. Nobody who has worked with him has a bad word to say about him - quite something after over 50 years in the bitchiest profession outside of parliament. Now, within touching distance of 75, he's embarking on a new stage of his career, taking over Channel 4's legendary daytime flagship show, Countdown.

In honour of his new role, the celebrated interviewer agreed to become an interviewee for a change, reflecting on half a century in showbiz, what it's like to die in Glasgow, and why laughter is the best medicine.

How did you get started in showbiz?
My first time on the stage was in the Air Force. Basically, I was caught clowning around and ordered to take part in a talent competition, which I won. Not many people can say they were ordered into show business. After that, it dawned on me that becoming a red coat might be the door that I needed to get into show business, to learn what I could. It was the best grounding anyone could ever have if they wanted to be an entertainer.

When you started out, did you see yourself as a singer who told jokes, a comedian who sang, or an all-rounder?
I was only doing jokes, just clowning around. Mum says all I ever did as a kid was jokes. When I was in the Air Force I used to go to the Embassy Theatre in Peterborough and see the acts. I always loved the comics. I never saw myself as a singer - it was only years later, when my mother kept going on at me to sing, that I did it. So you can blame my mum.

She was right, though, 16 million records later. But you nearly went down a different avenue, didn't you? You played football for Northampton Town and were an amateur jockey.
I never took the sport that seriously. Right from day one I just enjoyed making people laugh, and that was all I wanted to do. I was only at Northampton between the ages of 16 and 18. I was a bellboy at the ground, and I used to go and watch then train whenever I could. One night I was watching a practice game and someone got injured, so they said 'Go on, son.' And I scored a goal! So they signed me up as an amateur which I did for two years, but only played in the third team in the United Counties League. In fact, when they got me on This Is Your Life, Eamonn Andrews called the manager on and they brought out my signing-on forms. He asked the manager 'What's he worth on the transfer market today?' and he replied 'Oh, he'd be worth about one and ninepence. But we can't afford him to entertain at the Christmas dinner.'

What about the amateur jockey licence?
That was just a bet struck at a lunch I was invited to by the Queen Mother at Epsom where the Amateur Derby was being run. Through a conversation, I took on a bet that I could ride the winner within three years. It's a long, long story. I did get my amateur jockey's licence, but I never rode in a race. I was at the Palladium for nine months when the licence came through and there was a clause in the contract specifying no dangerous sports.

Distilling 50 years into a few moments isn't easy, but what would you say have been the proudest occasions of your career?
The Royal Shows always had a lot of clout and a lot of kudos, and I've done 11 of those over the years. And also doing An Audience with Des O'Connor was pretty fantastic - walking on and having an entire audience of your peers stand up at the beginning and at the end. After all the stick I've taken, all the insults over the years about my singing, to suddenly see an entire audience spontaneously give you a standing ovation is pretty memorable.

Have you ever had any truly disastrous performances?
Yeah, Glasgow Empire, 1954. I'd been in showbiz about five weeks, and my agent said "I've got you a week at the Glasgow Empire." What he didn't tell me was that the national sport of Scotland was to go to the Empire on a Friday night and wait for the English comic. It was horrible. And the act in front of me was a lady working with her nephew because her husband had been killed two days before. So she did the show, had a fit of tears, and then I was rushed on to do funnies. And having 3,000 people just staring at you in silence is not a nice thing. So I pretended to faint, went down in a heap, and ended up in the local hospital, with them threatening to operate for appendicitis.

Chat shows have been a massive part of your career. Who have been your favourite guests over the years?
Always the comics. It's wonderful having Barbara Streisand doing her only ever interview in front of a British audience. It's wonderful to have Robert Redford, Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Tony Blair (back when he was popular) - all of that's wonderful. But comics are the best. I just used to love the fun of it all. Great fun and utterly spontaneous - you can't rehearse what goes on.

Have you had any guests who haven't played ball or haven't wanted to be there?
No, not really. We don't really do interviews, we have conversations, it's a fun thing. And it's up to me, you can't blame them. If they're not giving anything, I shouldn't have invited them in the first place. You get the odd difficulty. Whitney Houston was awkward - she wanted to go on first and re-organise the programme, but we got through it and when she came on, she was fantastic. She ended up coming on the show when we went to America too, so it was great.

Do you ever get nervous before shows?
I get excited, an adrenaline rush, but not nerves, not fear. You might get a little bit of concern if you're not sure what may or may not happen. But you learn pretty quickly that the best conversations happen when you're having fun. I leave the in-depth serious stuff to Parkinson, who does it very well indeed. Ours is a giggle and a laugh. Very rarely have I done an interview where we haven't had a smile.

You're just about to start shooting Countdown. Are you excited about it?
Yes I am. A challenge is a challenge and this is something really different for me. It's got a really different flavour to it. It's not a quiz or a game show, it's more like a parlour game and it's very laid back, very relaxed, great fun. I'm excited to be part of a show that's been running nearly 25 years. I went to do some run throughs a couple of weeks ago, and it was just so much fun. We never stopped giggling. That's what I love to do. I haven't done a day's work since I came into show business - I've done a lot of days' effort, but not work. It's too enjoyable to call work.

Have you been a fan of the show over the years?
Oh yeah, I've watched it many, many times. I'm not very good with the maths but I'm quite good with the words. But Carol is just extraordinary. I don't know if she's got a computer in her head - I watched her do the numbers, quite often in a matter of seconds.

Had you met her before you went up for the run-throughs?
Oh yeah, she's been a guest on Des O'Connor two or three times, she's done Des & Mel two or three times. I've always found her very relaxed, a lot of fun, not afraid to chip away at herself a little bit. She's lovely. I'm very fortunate to be working with someone who's got a great sense of fun.

Are you conscious of stepping into the shoes of two very distinguished hosts of Countdown?
Obviously I'm aware of it. But I can't afford to look back too much at what's gone on before. I very much respect both gentlemen. Des Lynam really knows his television, he's an absolute pro. I've met him two or three times - funnily enough, twice at airports - absolutely charming guy. And Richard was great, I had a lot of time for him. He was very warm, really his warmth was his talent. He had real charm, a sweet gentleman.

You became a father again at the age of 72. Will you be encouraging your son to tune in to Countdown to help him learn to read?
God, if he starts rattling off nine letter words that have been mixed up he'll run the country! But I think if you start pushing kids too hard it's not good. The programme is watched by everyone from students through to senior citizens, but I think it might be a bit much for a two-year-old. I'll kick a ball around the garden with him, but I won't be throwing nine-letter words at him just yet.

You've got four grown-up daughters. Are you enjoying parenthood again after such a long break?
How lucky am I? Four gorgeous daughters over the years, and then a wonderful little boy. And they all love him - he's going to get spoiled rotten. But it's great, having a kid is just a blessing. And fortunately, I've kept myself in good enough nick to actually run around the park and kick a ball with him, or clown around and piggyback him up the stairs and stuff. He's the most wonderful little son any father could have.

Not long ago, you were voted the nation's most inspirational oldie. That's a bit of a double-edged sword, isn't it?
Well, it is a bit, but I was quietly happy that people thought maybe I was doing something right. I know that at a certain age you're meant to start winding down a bit, but I've found these last few years I've been doing more television than ever. I can't stop enjoying it, I think that's the secret. And I feel great. What I've always tried to get across to people is 'Don't take yourself too seriously, don't worry about things that don't need to be worried about.' If you've got love, laughter and good health in your life, that's all you really need.

A new era of Countdown, with Des O'Connor at the helm, begins on 2 January at 3:30pm.

By Benjie Goodhart